Disclosed herein is a novel catalytic process for preparing imines by reacting amines with alcohols, carbonyls or combinations of alcohols and carbonyls.
Imines are highly useful in analytical materials, medicinal materials, polymer materials, liquid crystalline materials, and as synthons in organic synthesis. The production of imines from aldehydes, ketones or alcohols by reacting them with an aminating agent in the presence of a dehydrogenation catalyst is known. However, this approach can be expensive, inefficient, require harsh reaction conditions, and unsuccessful in the production of high molecular weight and/or branched imines. Additionally, many of the currently available methods have a negative environmental impact.
Accordingly, there is an ongoing need for efficient and environmentally friendly synthetic methods for the formation of imines.